“It’s one of those stories you really don’t want to tell,” said KDKA anchor Rick Dayton as he introduced a report on a “horrific crash” involving a tractor trailer truck, an SUV, and a mini-van.

The fatal accident on I-80 in Pennsylvania shut down the interstate for hours and caused at least three deaths and several injuries.

KDKA reporter Ross Guidotti of KDKA reported that the accident happened about 9:00 on Interstate 80 in Clintonville, PA.

An SUV and a semi truck were headed west-bound when both vehicles somehow lost control and crossed the median into the east-bound lane. The tractor-trailer truck flipped and landed on top of a mini-van, crushing the passengers. The van included 10-year-old Avrohom Dovid Liberow, who was killed, as well as newly married 20-year-old Pesha Leah Azouli, who was also killed. Two adults and three other children were also in the mini-van, and they were all injured. It’s a miracle that they survived a semi-truck landing on top of them. The 66-year-old driver of the SUV was also killed.

The driver of the tractor trailer truck has been identified as John Davis from Shelby, Ohio. He was not injured in the accident. Large truck drivers often escape serious injury in terrible accidents because their vehicles are so massive. They plow through smaller vehicles until they come to a stop. Meanwhile, passengers in those smaller vehicles commonly suffer serious injury or death.

No charges have been filed at this point. State police are investigating weather conditions and driver fatigue as possible causes of the accident.

Many trucking companies encourage drivers to work for long hours, and this causes dangerous driver fatigue. A fatigued driver can be just as dangerous as a drunk driver. And when a fatigued driver is behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound vehicle, everyone on the road is put in danger.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), driver fatigue causes 30 to 40 percent of tractor trailer truck wrecks. In one eye-opening NTSB survey, 19 percent of truck drivers admitted that they had fallen asleep behind the wheel in the past month.

Unfortunately, truck drivers have been known to falsify their log books to show that they did not work longer than the hours allowed. However, many drivers keep on trucking, even when they are exhausted. After all, their pay often depends on their performance – and that means delivering the cargo on time.

Have you been injured in a tractor trailer truck wreck? You need an experienced Georgia truck wreck lawyer who understands the laws associated with commercial vehicles. Many trucking companies have first-class, fast-acting legal departments, so contact an attorney as soon as possible to increase your chances of being awarded recovery. Call MLN Law at 404-531-9700 to schedule your free consultation.